Some creative, informational, educational and personal things that might be found in my book . . .

Why Rosie's Book?

While growing up, I had a dear friend, Renee, that lived next door and with whom I spent much of my childhood. We grew, in different directions, and went on our merry way. Many years later, I ran into her parents and they kindly reminded me of the laughs they still have over my book. “What book?” I wondered with a puzzled look. "I don't remember a book." Hardy laughter accompanied their response. At some time during our childhood, I tried to convince Renee about something that her parents didn’t agree with. I told her that proof of its truth could be found “in my book.” Naturally she went home and tried to convince her parents of the same thing but they weren’t falling for it. She needed an edge and told them emphatically, “It’s in Rosie’s book!” After they caught their breaths from reborn laughter, they let me know how “Rosie’s book” has been cited for many other things throughout the years. They’ve also mentioned that they’d like to see “Rosie’s book” one day. I can’t remember all of the things that I said were in “my book” but I’m sure my dear friend’s parents can recall much more than I ever knew about – LOL!!! So, here it is . . . my version of things you might find In Rosie’s Book . . .

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The Dynamite Digi design team over at the Crafts and Me Stamps' challenge blog wants to see bling, bling and more bling added to your projects. Crafts and Me Stamps is sponsoring this challenge and offering THREE digital images to a
randomly selected entry. You can find out more about this challenge here.

I've used the soon-to-be-released The Protector digital image, designed by Sara Burrier. You'll be able to find this lovely The Protector digital image soon here.

Here's a closer view of my Copic-filled image, handcut to allow the angel's wings to flow over the edge. I've added a bit of Pastel Lemon Flower Soft to the floral wreath in the girl's hair.

You've just got to hop over to the Crafts and Me Stamps Challenge blog to see how the amazingly talented Dynamite Digi girls have shown their use of bling while using Crafts and Me Stamps digital images on their fabulous projects!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

The Digi Bells design team over at the Elisabeth Bell's World Challenge Blog wants to see your projects full of Glimmer, Shimmer and Shine. A very lucky randomly selected entry will win TWO Elisabeth Bell digi images of their choice AND Elisabeth Bell designs from 7 Kids College Fund! You can find out more about this challenge and sponsors here.

I've used this fantastic rubberstamp image called Meadow Magic designed by Elisabeth Bell for Whimsy Stamps' Little Cottage Cuties Collection. You can find this sweet little angel building her magical snowman at the Whimsy Stamps online store here.

This pic shows a closer view of my Copic-filled image. A bit of Martha Stewart snow glitter is layered over the ground and touches the snowman's hat and carrot nose.

Layers of Bo Bunny A Gift of Love Tis the Season Treasure patterned paper with Bazzill red and teal cardstock form my card. A Memory Box Holly Vine provides a classy, leafy swirled border topped with a Prima Tea Rose Snow, red ribbon and pom-pom yarn flowers. Xmas Red Stickles shimmers through some of the McGill Pine Branch punched shapes. A few Bazzill Basics red jewels are lined along two corners. A Jo-Ann's holiday metallic red ribbon bow adorns another. My sentiment is from a Hero Arts ClearDesign December set.

Here's a view of the front of my completed side open card showing my use of Meadow Magic, as designed by Elisabeth Bell, full of Glimmer, Shimmer and Shine . . .

Here's a pic of the inside where I've added more of the patterned papers, some diecut with Lifestyle Crafts large circles. I'll have plenty of room to add a personal, handwritten note . . .

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Paper Mache is a fun (and wonderfully messy!) way to transform newspaper strips into a dimensional object by pasting them to a mold to take its form. I've used a large leftover party balloon to shape my newspaper strips into a dimensional oval to create my pumpkin.

The recipe for my paste is 1 cup flour, 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon of salt. I wet both sides of each paper strip with my paste before adhering it to my balloon's surface then used a sponge brush to flatten the strip well. After applying four layers of pasted newspaper, I began to clump layered strips on the top to form my pumpkin's short stem.

I've let the newspaper dry over the inflated balloon for four days before using a knife to cut off my lid.

I added folded newspaper strips around the opening of my pumpkin and the rim of the lid to smooth the edges then let it sit to dry another two days. I planned to add paint and certainly don't want any mold to form in my project because of moisture left in my paper mache.

I began to paint layers of Lumiere metallic bronze and Ranger's flat orange acrylic paint to the outside and allowed more drying time. The inside is also painted.

I used black Stickles to add hand-drawn eyes, a nose and mouth. This pic seems to capture some of the amazing sparkle and texture that the Stickles glitter glue adds.

Now this fun, handmade jack-o-lantern holds some of the Halloween goodies that we'll hand out to our trick-or-treaters.

The swirly paper ivy adhered to the base and lid is a digital image cut from my QuicKutz Silhouette electronic cutter. I love that I can resize the ivy image to meet my needs. I've spritzed the paper vine with glimmer mist for shimmer.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Please forgive my lateness in posting the pics as this continues to be a work in progress . . . one day I may get to decorate the inside too - LOL!!!

To celebrate the newest addition to Elisabeth Bell's Digital Gallery (here), the Digi Bells Design Team is hosting a blog hop.

How can you win your own BellaDonna and Hoot digi image? You'll have to hop through and leave comments on EACH blog. [You can find the full list of 11 other blogs at the Digi Bells Design Team blog (here).] Lynda will pick 2 blogs at random and the winners will be picked from those comments. The hoppers will have until Friday, Oct. 26, 2012 at 9 AM to leave comments. The winners will be posted at the Digi Bells' blog on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012.

Here's a closer view of my Copic-filled image shaped with Lifestyle Crafts Large Circles die cuts. I think that this image is a great example of coloring through layers as Elisabeth has clearly indicated that the lantern glow flows over parts of BellaDonna and Hoot. In portraying that glow, I've added color to the glow first then I colored those parts of the image lying behind the glow, using the same colors that are more faded and include a top layer of the glow color.

Remember to leave your comment below then move along to your next stop at the wonderfully-talented Wendy's blog (here). For reference, you can find the full list of the blogs to hop at the Digi Bells Design Team blog (here).

Thursday, October 18, 2012

This sweet little fairy is thrilled to show off her favorite pumpkin from the patch. She is a digital image, named Pumpkin Fairy Ellora, designed by Elisabeth Bell. You can get your own Pumpkin Fairy Ellora at Elisabeth Bell's Digital Gallery here.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

The Dynamite Digi design team over at the Crafts and Me Stamps' challenge blog wants to see lace and pearls added to your projects. Crafts and Me Stamps is sponsoring this challenge and offering THREE digital images to a
randomly selected entry. You can find out more about this challenge here.

I've used the soon-to-be-released Strings of Worship digital image, designed by Sara Burrier. You'll be able to find this lovely Strings of Worship digital image soon here.

You've just got to hop over to the Crafts and Me Stamps Challenge blog to see how the amazingly talented Dynamite Digi girls have shown their use of lace and pearls while using Crafts and Me Stamps digital images on their fabulous projects!

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Ladybug Crafts Ink carries a fabulous line of The Teenagers digital images featuring Jess and Josh. You can find Shopping Jess here.

Spellbinders Standard Circles in large and small shape and mat my image. I love the crisp and clear embossed edges that Spellbinders dies provide to their shapes. Here's a closer view of my Copic-filled Shopping Jess image . . .

Layers of Stampin' Up! Holiday Treasures floral patterned paper and Bazzill cardstock form my side open card. Cotton lace is layered over a border formed from an EK Success 3/8" Ribbon Edger punch weaved with Michael's 1/4" metallic ribbon. McGill pine branch punches lie behind a QuicKutz die cut present and gift bag. CarlaCraft small kikyou flower punches with Yellow Stickles centers line my gift cluster. A few Basic Grey buttons adorn one corner. The first part of a Close To My Heart Card Chatter - Christmas sentiment is included on the front of the card.

A Fiskars Trellis border punch decorates the bottom of the inside of my card that also contains the continuation of the Close To My Heart Card Chatter - Christmas sentiment. This inside view shows a border made of QuicKutz die cuts of gift bags and presents made from scraps . . .

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

I'm so happy to participate in this fortnight's Ladybug Crafts Ink flower and embossing challenge as a guest designer. It's such an honor to be invited by Head Ladybug Kerry to submit a creation to be displayed along with the Ladybugs' team projects. Many thanks to Kerry and the rest of the lovely Ladybugs for allowing me to participate in this challenge as a guest dt! (You can find out more about this challenge and the wonderfully talented Ladybugs here.)

This whimsical floral digital image, brilliantly named Jug and Vase Delight, is designed by artist Jan White for Ladybug Crafts Ink.

Here's a closer view of my Copic-filled image showing how I've also added its reflection. I printed a duplicate image onto plain paper and fussy cut the larger pieces. I lined up the base of the flipped cut out of the jug and vase to the base of the image and used a pencil to lightly trace the outline for a relatively accurate area as my guide. As the Jug and Vase Delight is the most important part of my project, I carefully layered my Copic colors onto my main image first. The reflection is less important but a fabulous addition to make my image seem more realistic so I used the same Copic colors to fill my reflection but in a more haphazard way. The colors that are closest to my main image are darker and crisper and should fade and get softer as the reflection gets further away.

I considered how the jug and vase would look on a mottled glass tabletop and decided to try to emphasize the reflective quality of its surface. I began to scribble horizontal strokes of C3 over my reflection then overlapped and extended those scribbles using C1. I overlapped my reflection and scribbles with BG000 and carried the color toward the edges of my cardstock. Some of my reflective colors smeared but it helped to soften the edges of the reflection nicely. While still damp, I began to slowly pounce the tip of my colorless blender over all of my image's table surface area to create the mottled glass effect and further distort my reflection.

and my attempt at a larger handmade marigold . . . All flower petals are lightly painted with Star Dust Stickles for wonderful shimmer and shine.

I fussy cut the lovely ladybug from another printed image and added cotton thread for antennae before coating the ladybug with glossy accents for dimension. She provides a lovely accent to my Close To My Heart Treasure Life sentiment stamped onto a Lifestyle Crafts Tag It Kit tag.

This photo shows my completed card front where I've used Ladybug Crafts Ink newly released digital image called Jug and Vase Delight . . . and my attempts at including its reflection on a mottled surface.

Monday, October 8, 2012

I've been lax with my attempts to meet the challenge that the Scrappers Cove proposed to me to create samples to show what can be done with the graduated, various shaped Spellbinders Labels dies.

Some time ago, I used some of the funky patterns and prints of the We R Memory Keepers Anthology collection with coordinating Bazzill cardstock colors. I left the card samples simple so students could enjoy adding their own embellishments and sentiments later.

Here's a pic that shows the several A2-sized cards I made using the Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Seven that we put together during my Spellbinders Nestabilities - Let Us Count the Ways - Labels Seven class at the Scrappers Cove in Milltown, NJ.

These cards emphasize adding layers to side-open and tent cards. Spellbinders Labels Seven has a wonderful open book look to it that can be enhanced with printed words, music sheets and special sentiments and images.

Heartfelt Creations has a number of rubberstamps that coordinate with Spellbinders Labels Seven dies. We've used Book Frame 1 that includes a wonderful outline of an open book as well as a musical sheet showing the verses of Amazing Grace. Book Frame 2 contains stamps of smaller open book images. Their Holiday Poinsettia Candle set looks fabulous when fussy cut and layered.

You can find examples of how I used the Spellbinders Labels One dies here, Labels Two here, Labels Three here, Labels Four here, Labels Five here and Labels Six here.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

This beautiful, barefoot little lady, peacefully cuddling her soft baby lamb is a digital image, named Little Lamb, designed by Elisabeth Bell. You can get your own Little Lamb at Elisabeth Bell's Digital Gallery here.

Here's a closer view of my Stampin' Up! sentiment from an older Happy Harmony set as punched using a 1" circle punch. I've also stamped and used detail black embossing powder to add a heat embossed super shiny layer to a flowery label from an old Stampin' Up! Designer Label Punch Box set then punched it using their matching label punch. Bits of Prima's Say It In Crystals adds delicate bling and a smaller handmade chrysanthemum continues the flowery theme. A self-curling ribbon adds a border and knotted accent.

I've layered Bazzill cardstock with old Top Line Creations Autumn/Thanksgiving plaid patterned paper to form my tent card. I used a Martha Stewart Rings Combo Holiday Punch Around the Page corner and border punch to create my tent card's lacey edge. Some faux stitching with a Zig Pure Brown marker adds a homemade touch. A Spellbinder's Large Classic Oval and Scalloped Oval frames my image. A QuicKutz scalloped corner die cut with a dot of bling accents two corners.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

The Dynamite Digi design team over at the Crafts and Me Stamps' challenge blog wants to see you add a sentiment to the front of your card. Crafts and Me Stamps is sponsoring this challenge and offering THREE digital images to a
randomly selected entry. You can find out more about this challenge here.

I've used a digi image of a beautiful scene of a loving mother with her baby, named A Loving Snuggle, designed by one of Crafts and Me Stamps' newest artists, Teresa Sherman. You can get your own A Loving Snuggle image here.

Here's a view of my completed card front showing how I've added a sentiment from a Whimsy Stamps Crissy Armstrong Maya Making Wishes digital set to my card using the digital image called A Loving Snuggle by Teresa Sherman.

and a view of the inside showing a Rubber Cottage "Every Child" sentiment and a few QuicKutz diecuts of a rocking horse, baby pin and pacifier coated with glossy accents for dimension and shine . . .

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You've just got to hop over to the Crafts and Me Stamps Challenge blog to see how the amazingly talented Dynamite Digi girls have shown their use of sentiments while using Crafts and Me Stamps digital images on their fabulous projects!